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Intelligence Reports, Tips Lead to Insurgent’s Capture

WASHINGTON, Oct. 6, 2010  Multiple intelligence sources and tips from local residents yesterday led Afghan and coalition forces in the Muhammad Aghah district of Afghanistan’s Logar province to arrest a man who allegedly facilitates and conducts roadside-bomb attacks, military officials reported.

The insurgent was arrested on an Afghan government warrant.

In other news from Afghanistan:

-- A combined patrol in Kandarhar province killed several insurgents when it was fired upon as it attempted to stop their vehicle based on intelligence reports and tips from civilians. A search of the vehicle yielded 1,675 pounds of processed heroin, 551 pounds of hashish, 440 pounds of wet opium, 20 remote-controlled roadside bombs, five bomb initiator packs and four assault rifles with ammunition. The narcotics, weapons and vehicle were destroyed on site.

-- International Security Assistance Force officials confirmed claims that a man found shackled and locked in a room during an Oct. 4 Afghan and coalition operation was being held by the Taliban. The man is an Afghan reserve police member in Helmand province’s Marja district and was kidnapped at a checkpoint about a week before his rescue. Afghan and coalition forces detained two suspected Taliban insurgents yesterday while in their continued pursuit of his alleged captor, who commands up to 20 enemy fighters.

-- Afghan and coalition security forces acting on intelligence information and civilian tips captured a Haqqani terrorist network facilitator who reportedly has provided weapons, ammunition and suicide bombers for attacks throughout Khost province’s Sabari district, along with several associates.

-- Afghan-led security forces last night targeted a Taliban senior leader based in Kandahar province’s Dand district who coordinates bombing attacks and commands a kidnapping cell targeting Afghan government officials and Afghan civilians supportive of coalition forces. Based on intelligence reports, the security force went to a compound in the province’s Zharay district to search for the Taliban leader. When multiple grenades were thrown at the security force from a nearby wood line, the security force engaged and killed one insurgent. After the area was secure, the security force questioned the residents at the scene and detained several suspected insurgents.

-- In Ghazni province’s Andar district yesterday, a partnered Afghan and coalition security force captured a Taliban bomb-attack operative who also facilitated and conducted heavy machine gun and small-arms attacks against coalition convoys.

-- ISAF officials confirmed that Sainullah, a Haqqani network facilitator who supplied weapons used for attacks throughout Khost province’s Musa Khel district was killed during an Oct. 4 combined operation. Intelligence tips led the security force to a remote compound in the Sabari district to search for the facilitator. As the security force engaged several insurgents who threatened them, killing three, including Sainullah. The security force detained a suspected insurgent and recovered a machine gun and bomb-making materials.

-- Coalition forces killed Qari Ziauddin, the Taliban shadow governor in Faryab province, in a precision air strike yesterday. The shadow governor was directly associated with and took direct operational orders from a Pakistan-based leader of the northern front, officials said. Based on intelligence sources, coalition forces tracked him to a remote area of the Dowlatabad district. The strike was conducted only after careful planning to ensure no civilians were present. Armed insurgents threatened the follow-on ground force that went to the site to assess the results of the strike. Four insurgents were killed in the engagement, and the ground force confirmed Qari Ziauddin was killed during the air strike. The security force also searched a series of caves and found a destroyed machine gun, multiple automatic weapons, grenades, magazines and machine gun ammunition along with bomb-making materials. They also discovered a weapons cache, but large secondary explosions prevented the force from assessing the contents, officials said.

-- Afghan and coalition security forces targeted a Taliban senior leader who facilitates weapons, conducts attacks and leads a bomb-attack cell in the Jaghato district of Wardak province during an overnight operation in neighboring Ghazni province. Intelligence tips led the security force to a compound in Ghazni’s Rashidan district to search for the targeted individual. As the partnered force began to clear the compound, they engaged and killed an insurgent who threatened them. After the area was secure, the force questioned residents at the scene and detained a suspected insurgent. The force also found and destroyed a recoilless rifle with rounds, multiple magazines and machine gun ammunition.

-- An Afghan and coalition security force detained several insurgents and killed two during an overnight clearing operation in Kunar province. Recent reporting led the security force to target a series of compounds in the Nurgal district. When they arrived at the scene, the partnered force immediately received enemy fire. Coalition forces responded, killing two insurgents. After questioning all the residents, the security force detained several insurgents and also found and destroyed multiple weapons and more than 1,000 rounds of assault-rifle ammunition.

-- The Afghan army’s 8th Commando Kandak -- or battalion -- on a partnered patrol with coalition forces, recovered a large weapons cache Oct. 3 in Uruzgan province. As part of the patrol, the Afghan-led force also had scheduled meetings with local Afghan leaders to discuss possible infrastructure development projects in the local area. The cache consisted of two rocket-propelled grenades, six roadside bombs, three containers of five-gallon jugs of homemade explosives with detonators inserted, a radio-controlled roadside bomb, ammunition, a tactical vest, a water bottle filled with homemade explosive encased with wood and springs to create shrapnel when detonated, and a bag of homemade explosives.

Officials noted that partnered forces protected any women and children present during the operations.